John gardner



(No Model.)

J. GARDNER.

HOLDER FOR PACKING CARTRIDGES.

No. 285.992. Patented Oct. 2, 1883.

N rrni) .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

,JOII'N oAnnNnR, or new HAVEN, oomlnoricor, Assionoa To THE. WIN-cnnsrnn REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, or SAME when.

HOLDER FoR' PACKING CARTRIDGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285L992, dated October2, 1883.

Application filed August 13, 1883. (No model.) I

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that T, JOHN GARDNER, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inPacking Cartridges; and I do hereby specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a top of plan view; Fig. 2, a side view; Fig. 3, alongitudinal section through the locking mechanism and one of theapertures enlarged; Figs. 4, 5, and 6, sectional side views toillustrate the method of employing the holders in the packing ofcartridges; Fig. 7 the supporting-frame on a reduced scale.

This invention relates to-an improvement in apparatus for arrangingcartridges in packages. Gartridges are usually packed in paper boxes orcases containing fifty or one hundred. The larger cartridges arearranged in the box, one half of them standingupon their head in thebot-tom of the box, the other half introduced between them pointdownward, so that the heads stand upward, and thus all eartridges standwith their axes parallel; but inthe case of the smaller cart-ridges theyare placed in the box without any particular arrangement. Before placingin boxes the bul-. lets are greased, and when placed in the box withoutsome arrangement the cartridge-shells come in contact with the greasedportion of the bullet, and take therefrom more or less of. the grease,so that the cartridge-cases are-not only soiled, but oxidation soonfollows, rendering it many times difficult to introducethem into thechamber for firing, and also making them unpleasant to handle. Thearrangement of the larger cartridges, as before described, has usuallybeen made by hand. Such hand operation to arrange the smaller sizeswouldbe too expensive. The invention of Thomas G. Bennett, June 27, 1882, No.260,153, obviated to a considerable extent the expense of thuspackingcartridges, particularly as to the larger sizes. In that invention apair of plates is employed, each perforated correother plate,

sponding to the size of the cartridges under the head, the holes in oneplatebeing intermediate between the holes in the other. The cartridgesare introduced through the holes in the plates, suspended by theirheads. One plate thus filled is inverted. Then the second plate,with itscartridges hanging downward, is placed over the first plate ofcartridges, and the cartridges in the second plate passed between. thosein the first plate, and then the plates and cartrid es are introducedinto the package. \Vh-ilet is inventioniswell adapted to the largersizes of cartridges, it is too expensive for the smaller sizes. Ingreasing the smaller classes of cartridges, as in the process of Burnsas patented September 12, 1882, No. 264,237, the cartridges are arrangedthrough holes in a plate, bullets downward, and suspended in the plate*by the head, and while in this condition the bullets are greased in amass. I

. The object of my invention is to avoid the handling of the cartridgesafter they have been thus greased, and introduce them directly to theirboxes, arrange them therein one half -with heads downward, the otherhalf between the first half and with heads upward, and at the same timeavoid leaving the plates in the boxes, as in the Bennett invention; andthe invention consists in a holder for cartridges, composed of a pair ofplates, each perforated with holes of substantially the diameter of thehead of the cartridge, and so that the holes in one plate will registerwith the holes in the the one plate movable upon the other, whereby theholes in the one plate may overlap the holes in the other platesufiieiently to suspend the cartridge by the head and prevent itsdropping through the hole until the plates are moved to bring the holesinto registering or concentric position, when the cartridge-heads arefree to pass through the holes, and as more fully hereinafter described.

The holder in which the cartridges are arranged consists of two plates,a b. These plates are perforated alike, the hole d in the onecorresponding in size to the hole a in the other, and each hole ofsubstantially the diameter or a little largerthan the head of theeartri'd'ge. The holes are arrangedin groups, as seen in Fig. 1, and aredistant from each other littlemore than the diameter'of the head of thecartridge, the several groups in extent corresponding, substantially, tothe size and shape of the box or, package into which the cart-ridges areto be introduced. As seen in Fig.

5, the plates are constructed for four groups ,of

eartridges'that is to say, cartridges for four IO boxes. These platesare arranged one upon the other and secured together by screws f througha slot, h, in one plate into the other plate, and so that the one plate,b, may be moved upon the other plate, a, in parallel planes, and- I; soas to bring the holesjnto a concentric or registering position, as seenin broken lines, Fig. 3, or moved so as to cause that'portion of oneplate adjacent to its holesto overlap the corresponding portion of theholes in the other 2p plate, asseen in Fig. 3, this overlappingservthrough the aperture will hang by its head, as The plates thus movedint-0' position to contract the apertures are locked '3 5 in'gpositio n.

jing to reduce the aperture through the tw plates to about the diameterof the cartridgeshell below the head, as'seen in Fig.3; hence -when thusoverlapped a cartridge passed seen inFi'g. 3.

by. a latch, A. This latch is hinged to the one plate, a, and so .thatits nose passes through 0 corresponding holes I in. the two plates,asseen I in Fig. 2. Thelatch is providedwithafingerpiece, B, by which itmay be withdrawn, as seen downward, and until all the apertures arefilled. -When the holder is thusfilled, the-bullets may be dipped forgreasing as'inthe Burns or other suitable process. Thn a board, I), isplaced upon the .upper side-that is, upon 5 theheadsof th-cartridges-audthe plates with the cartridges inverted, asseen inv Fig. 4,

the lower series of cartridges representin ghtheen plates and caltridgesthus inverted.

' a second pair of plates of like construction and character is filledwith cartridges and set .'upon the first, as seen in Fig. 4, pointdownward, the cartridges in that plate passing down I, between the cartrdges in the first or inverted plate. This done, the hatch A is disenand. the platesare move e s to bring the holes 7 into a concentricposition, 'asseen in'broken lines, Fig. 3, and when's'o'brou ht intoregis- .tering position they'are lifted rom over .the

heads of the cartridges, leaving the cartridges in Fig 5. Then the box Eis :p f over the mass of cartridges, in

plates, which now suspend the inverted car- T 15 v:ithen'the'box theloerpla and. D.a.re'i-nyerted,jbr 1.1.3 first gzir of platesuppermost,-as. Fig. 6.

is-don'e, the board is remv and-the I I g 185,992-

6 v A t tridges, are removed, and the cartridges stand in their boxalternately head up and down.

The holder, as before stated, may have several groups of cartridges,each group corresponding to. one box. It will be understood thatthe.holes in one pair of plates will be arranged in a positionintermediate between ing the first groups, the other plate receivingbetween those of the first groups, as in the plates of the Bennettpatent.

I find it convenient to place over the first which correspond to theinternaLdimensions of the-boxes, and so that when the second groups areplaced upon the first, as seen in opening in the frame, and thus will besupand until the box can be set thereon. This frame is shown detachedona reduced scale in Fig. 7. \Vhen this holder is employed as the plateto support the cartridges for greasing, as in the Burns patent beforereferred to, all handling of .tlie partridges thereafter is avoided, asthe operator, in manipulating the plates, takes all the cartridges whichare suspended in that plate and leaves them in their respective boxes. 1While this invention is designed with special reference to the smallersizes of cartridges, it may be usedwith great facility in packing largercartridges, and afier the method described in the Bennett patent; and itpermits the removing of the plate from the cartridges after they havebeen placed in their package.

I invention.

reference to packing cartridges, maybe used for other. operations intheproeess of manufacturing cartridges. L Y I While I prefer to lock thetwo plates ofthe in their proper manipulation. Iclaimconsisting! ratedwit of the two: plates ab, each perfo holes corresponding,substantially,

tobe held,-the one plate movable upon the 'to be held, the one platemovable upon the. 'other, to bri the holes into registering orconcentric p tion or .to contract the aper-v described, to

Fig. 4, the mass will be embraced by the ported after the firstplate-has been removed,

instead of leaving itthe're, .as in the Bennett Y I The'invention, whiledesigned with special otheryto bring the holes'into registering or.

to the diameter of the head 0 the cartridgethe holesin another plate,the one plate receiva i the second groups in positions intermediate.

inverted groups a frame, F, the openings of 8o holder together, asdescribed,this locking is not essential, asthe operator may hold themrelative position during the .1. The herein described' cartridge-holder,

to the-diameter of the head of the cartridge herein-describedcartridge-holden .3 tare,- and mechanism, substantiallysuch as" 7 lockthe plates when the aper-' tn res are in the contracted condition,substanperforations formed in groups corresponding 10 tiaflly asdescribed. to the size of the box or case into which the can 3. Apair ofplates arranged one upon the tridges are to he introduced, substantiallyas other, the two perforated with holes corredescribed. sponding,substantially, to the diameter of the v Y i f head of the cartridges tobeheld, the one plate 7 IONA AR] b movable upon the other, to bring theholes Witnesses:

int-o registering or concentric position or to- DANIEL II. Vanna,

(mm-act the aperture, as described, the said LEE H. DANIELs.

